#4 Dalton State started the 2019 NAIA National Championship strong posting a (+5, 293) and sits in second place after the first round at Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City, Okla. on Tuesday.
#11 Oklahoma City (-1, 287) is in the lead by six strokes over the Lady Roadrunners. In third is British Columbia, one-stroke behind Dalton State at (+6, 294). #1 Keiser (Fla.) (+9, 297) is in fourth with fellow SSAC member William Carey (Miss.) (+10, 298) rounding out the top-5.
Junior All-American Isabel Rijos paced the Lady Birds with a (-1, 71) and is tied for fourth individually.
Starting on the back 9, Rijos collected a birdie at No. 13. The rest of her round was uneventful, but in a good way as she polished off 14 consecutive pars to finish out the round.
All-American Katie Dalton and junior Hannah Gasaway both posted scores of (+1, 73) on the afternoon and are just outside the top-10 in 13th. Dalton began her round with a bogey at No. 10, but got the stroke back with a birdie at No. 15 to make the turn at even-par. She started the front with two bogeys-in-a-row before collecting another birdie at No. 3. She would par the next six holes to finish out her round.
Gasaway began her day with a bogey at No. 10 as well and found more trouble at No. 12 with another bogey. A birdie at No. 13 got her back to 1-over, but another bogey at No. 16 had her turn to the front at 2-over. She caught her stride and got back to (E) after birdies at Nos. 1 & 5. A bogey and three pars closed out her round of (73).
Freshman Cameron Daniel was next in the clubhouse with a 4-over, 76. Daniel got off to a solid start with par on her first seven holes before dropping a shot with a bogey at No. 17. She lost another shot at No. 3 and looked primed to finish out at 2-over, but closed with bogeys at Nos. 8 & 9. She is tied for 41st overall.
The last Lady Roadrunner to post a score on the day was Katelyn Skiffen with a (+8, 80). She was holding tough and made the turn to the front at 2-over after one birdie and three bogeys on her first nine. Things quickly turned on the front side with a triple-bogey on No. 1. She added bogeys on Nos. 6, 7, & 8 to finish out her round.
It was a great start," said Jim McGrew, Women's Golf Coach. "The ladies played really well. You can't win the tournament on the first day, but you can make it difficult on yourself. We did what we needed to do, now we need to come back and have another solid day. There is a lot of golf left."
The quest for the programs first national championship is on. They will tee it up again on May 15 for the second round of the NAIA National Tournament at Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City, Okla.